Book details

The Silence of Our Friends

Author: written by Mark Long and Jim Demonakos; illustrated by Nate Powell

The Silence of Our Friends

The Silence of Our Friends

$19.99

About This Book

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

As the civil rights struggle heats up in Texas, two families-one white, one black-find common ground.

This semi-autobiographical tale is set in...

Page Count
208
Genre
On Sale
01/17/2012

Book Details

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

As the civil rights struggle heats up in Texas, two families-one white, one black-find common ground.

This semi-autobiographical tale is set in 1967 Texas, against the backdrop of the fight for civil rights. A white family from a notoriously racist neighborhood in the suburbs and a black family from its poorest ward cross Houston's color line, overcoming humiliation, degradation, and violence to win the freedom of five black college students unjustly charged with the murder of a policeman.

The Silence of Our Friends follows events through the point of view of young Mark Long, whose father is a reporter covering the story. Semi-fictionalized, this story has its roots solidly in very real events. With art from the brilliant Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole) bringing the tale to heart-wrenching life, The Silence of Our Friends is a new and important entry in the body of civil rights literature.

Imprint Publisher

First Second

ISBN

9781596436183

Reading Guide

In The News

"…convincingly depicts the systemic racism, blatant and subtle, that suffused and corroded everything during [the] period…[Powell's] imagery amplifies the effects of the book's multiple perspectives—the overwhelmed kid's-eye view of uneasy family dynamics and open Texas spaces, the hyperkinetic chaos on campus, the cropped literalism of TV newscasts." —The New York Times

"...an engrossing narrative about race in America, while honestly dealing with a host of other real-world issues, including familial relationships, friendship, dependency, "other"-ness, and perhaps most importantly, the search for common ground." —Publishers Weekly

"A moving evocation of a tipping point in our country's regrettable history of race relations, Long and Demonakos's story flows perfectly in Eisner and Ignatz Award winner Powell's graceful and vivid yet unpretty black-and-gray wash." —School Library Journal

About the Creators

The Silence of Our Friends

The Silence of Our Friends

$19.99